Process of connecting metal parts by electric welding



Nov. 25 1924. 1,517,238 v R. STRESAU PROCESS OF CONNECTING METAL PARTSBY ELECTRIC WELDING Filed Dec. 8, 1922 INVENTOR.

fiat/lard 677 Esau,

BY W Y I A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

UNITED STATES.

1,515,238 PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARDSTRESAU, OF WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO A. 0. SMITH COR-FORATION, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF CONNECTING METAL PARTS BY ELECTRIC WELDING.

Application filed December 8, 1922. Serial No. 605,589.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RICHARD STRnsAU, a citizen of the United States, anda resident v of the city of Wauwatosa, county of Milwaukee, and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inProcesses of Connecting Metal Parts by Electric \Velding; and I dodeclare the following to be a clear, exact, and complete descriptionthereof, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which myinvention relates to make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawing as illustrative of a practicable construction inwhich my/invention has been embodied.

The invention resides in an improved method of electric welding,specifically applicable to the production of automobile or other vehicleframes.

Automobile frames are now generally constructed of two sheet steelmembers pressed into the shape of channels to form longitudinallyextending side bars, the latter being united by a plurality of crossbars, the ends of which are rigidly attached to the side bars toconstitute a permanent structure.

In the older construction of such frames, the cross bars were generallyformed as pressed steel channel members to which the side bars wereattached, by means of flanges at their ends. Later, it was found that agreatly increased degree of rigidity was imparted to the frame by theuse of tubular cross bars, which by reason of their torsional resistanceserved to fortify the frame against vibration, and prevent its rackingunder strains to which it might be subjected, the latter being injuriousto the body or structure supported upon the frame.

The problem of securely attaching the ends of thetubular cross bars tothe longitudinal side bars of the frame presented some difiiculty, andespecially so in that type of frame, now in common use, in which theside bars extend in planes which converge at their forward ends. Thearrangement of the side bars in this converging line frame, asdescribed, has heretofore necessitated the performance of difficult operations in cutting both of the ends of the tubular cross bar at anangle in exact coincidence with the longitudinal arrangement of the sidebars, such angle departing from perpendicularity with relation to theaxis of the tubular cross bar. Upon the endsof the tubular cross barsthus formed, connecting plates were fixed so as to stand at an angleparallel to the vertical and longitudinal planes of the side bars, andsuch plates were attached to the side bars by arc welding or otherwise,to complete the frame structure.

The requirements to be met in the situation described were such thatconsiderable time was necessarily consumed in the achievement of thepurposes desired.

I have found that the operations in making such a cross bar may begreatly simplified, and the cost of production materially reduced, byforming the connecting.

plates referred to with a spherical embossment or projection. upon whichthe square.

cut end of the tubular cross bar is adapted to be seated." Thisprovision enables the tubular cross bars to be formed much more readilywith square cut ends, and it follows that the connecting plates may beplaced at any desired angle with reference to the axis of the tubularcross bars, it being necessary only to first determine the angle whichthe cross bars are to bear to the side bars. The end plates and thetubular cross bars. assembled in the angular relation desired, arejoined by welding circumferentially about the line of contact of thetubular members and the embossments. This welding is performed mostexpeditiously and efficiently by employing an electric arc.

The features of the invention will now be described with. particularity,and the novelty thereof will be pointedout in the appended claims. 7

' In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is aplan view of an automobile frame, the side bars of whichconverge forwardly, and are joined together by a plu-' the convergencedescribed. relat on to produce a tapering or stream-' Fig. 2 is a planview of oneof the tubular torsion resisting cross bars, the latter beingpartly in section, and showing the arrangement of the spherical embossedplates as applied in position to the ends thereof, and

' about the joint, but I indicating also the circumferential line ofwelding by means of which such plates are permanently united to thecross bars.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals 10 and 11 indicate the usualpressed steel channeled side bars of an automobile frame. The cross barsformedas tubular members, and indicated by the numeral 12, are graduatedin length and are arranged between the side bars so as to produce theconvergence of the side bars at their forward ends, the longest crossbar being located at the rear end of the frame.

The plates which serve to connect the ends of the cross bars to the sidebars are indicated 13, and are provided with spherical embossments orother enlargements or projections 14, the latter being designed to enterthe ends of the tubular cross bars. It will be obvious that thespherical surface of the embossment may readily be made to partiallyenter within the end of the tubular cross bar, and that the squared endof the latter.

will seat itself in position upon the spherical surface, so that theplate 13 may be made to stand at any desired angle with relation to theaxis of the cross bar.

In assembling the tubular member and the connecting plates, it isnecessary only to arrange the two plates 13 in planes co inciding withthose in which the side bars extend. The cross bars are placed inposition with their ends encircling the embossments. The parts are thenwelded along the line of contact of the tubular member with theembossment, as indicated at 15in Fig. 2.

The welding is easily accomplished. I havefound that the welding may beachieved by clamping the two plates 13 in chucks whichwill press theembossments into engagement with the ends of the tubular cross bar, androtate the assembled parts past the point of a weldrod. The resultsdesired may be obtained expeditiously by the use of a current conductingfusible weldrod, the molten metal flowing from which is deposited at thewelding line so as to supply an additional amount of metal at the jointand reinforce the union due to, the fusion which takes place in theparts to be united. The

assembled parts may be rotated a suflicient number of times to permitthe formation of the deposit of metal necessary to fill the exterioropening 16 existing in the line of contact of the embossment with theend of the tubular member, and produce a symmetrical ]O1I1i Converselthe assembled parts may be held stationary and the weld'rod rotated findthe method first described to be preferable, inasmuch as it isproductive of the most and is the easier to operate.

The frame will be completed by assembllng the Side bars with the crossbars propsatisfactory results,

erly positioned with respect thereto, and attaching the plates whichhave been ncorporated into the integral cross bar construc tions to theside bars to form a permanent frame structure. The attachment may beefl'ctedvery satisfactorily by arc welding, but other means of achievingthe result may be employed.

It is not necessary to the successful practice of my invention that theembossment on the connecting plate be invariably spherical, inasmuch asother forms of enlargement or projection may be used, having in mind theattainment of the purposes of the present invention, which are to enableuse to be made of the idea of attaching the squared ends of tubularcross bars to the connecting plates, regardless of the angle at whichthey stand in relation to the axis ofthe "cross bar. The anglenecessarily varies from normality to the axis when tapering frames arebeing produced.

.It is obviously within the scope of my invention to'fuse and weld theparts by fineans other than the electric arc, as hereinbefore described.

The manufacture herein disclosed is the subject-matter of the claims ofan application filed by me on October 16, 1924, Serial No. 743,912, as adivision of the present application. c

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain byLetters Patent of the United States is:

1. The process of connecting metal parts by electric welding whichcomprises the steps of forming one of such parts with a sphericalembossmentand the other as a tubular member adapted to be seated uponthe said embossment, and permanently connectingthe said partsby weldingcircumferentially at the line of contact of the parts. l.

2.' The process of connecting metal parts by electric welding whichcomprises the steps of forming one of such parts with a sphericalembossment and the other as a tubular member with a square cut endadapted to be seated upon the said embossment, and permanentlyconnecting the said parts by arc welding circumferentially at the lineofcontact of the parts.

3. The process of connecting metal parts which consists in arranging theends of a tubular member in engagement with spherical embossments formedupon metal plates standing in planes which are convergent angularly withrelation to the axis of the tubular member, and fusing the parts bymeans of an electric current-to weld them into an integral structure.

4. The process of connecting metal parts which consists in arranging theends, of a tubular member in engagement with sphe rstanding in planeswhich are convergent angularly with relation to the axis of the tubularmember, and conducting an electric current by means of a fusible weldrodto fuse the parts and deposit the metal flowing from the weldrod uponthe joint to constitute an integral structure. v v 5 The process ofconnecting metal parts at variant angles which consists in providing oneof such parts with a spherical embossment and the other as a tubularmemher with a square cut end adapted to be seated upon the embossment toproduce the desired angle in the relation of the parts, and joining thesaid parts by the fusion of the same in the line of their contact toproduce an integral structure.

6. The method of forming a torsional R. STRESAU.

Witnesses \V. I. 'wmno,

ELizAnE'rH MURRAY.

